Folly & Foolishness
by KnifeInTheCrayonBox
Summary: Samantha and her family are back in Mount Bedford, where Grandmary plans to formally introduce Samantha and Nellie into society at a debutante ball. To make matters worse, Eddie is to be Samantha's escort. Will Eddie be any different than the annoying, foolish boy Samantha knew all those years ago? Will Samantha even let her prejudice go long enough to find out?
1. The Surprise

"Samantha! Samantha! Where are you?" I heard Cornelia call throughout the house.

"I am in the drawing room!" I answered as I continued to work on my needlepoint. I looked up at Nellie to see her squinting at the needle as she wove it in and out of the cloth, concentrating on it like she was trying to defuse a bomb. Being brought up as a servant, she didn't have the advantage of having as much training as I had, but she learned quickly. I heard rapid footsteps coming down the hall and a moment later Cornelia appeared in the doorway.

"Samantha, your Grandmary is on the telephone, and she would like to speak to you," she informed me.

"Yes, Cornelia," I said politely, setting my needlework down on the table next to me and walked to the telephone at the other end of the house. I picked up the mouthpiece and listened closely.

"Hello, Grandmary," I greeted her.

"Hello, Samantha, I trust that your birthday was pleasant. Did you get the present I sent you?" she asked. I smiled when I remembered the charm bracelet that had arrived in the mail a couple days ago and the party that was held yesterday.

"Yes, I did and it was lovely. Thank you Grandmary," I responded.

"Well, I am glad to hear that. I called because I have a surprise for you and Nellie," she said mysteriously.

"A surprise? Oh! What is it?" I asked excitedly.

"You'll just have to wait and see. A week from now your Uncle Gardner, Aunt Cornelia and your three sisters will be traveling here to Mount Bedford to visit the Admiral and I, and also for the surprise," she said, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.

"Oh, I can't wait Grandmary!" I exclaimed.

"I knew you would be excited. Well, it's just about suppertime. I must go now, Samantha. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Grandmary," I said before placing the mouthpiece back on it's hook. I felt a grin spread across my face before I turned and rushed back into the drawing room. I stopped just inside the doorway and saw Cornelia bending down next to the chair Nellie was sitting in, helping her and giving her pointers on her needlework. They both looked up when they heard me walk in, and Nellie smiled when she saw the excited look on my face.

"What is it Samantha?" she asked.

"Oh, Nellie, we are going to see my Grandmary in a week's time, and she has a surprise for the both of us!" I said excitedly as I twirled around in a circle.

"Did she say what it was?" Nellie asked curiously.

"No, but I'm sure it will be something wonderful!"

"A surprise?" a voice asked from the doorway. I turned around to see Bridget and Jenny standing in the doorway.

"A surprise for us?" Bridget asked.

"Sorry, girls, but the surprise is only for Samantha and Nellie," Cornelia said quietly. A frown slid across Bridget's face and Jenny stuck out her bottom lip.

"But I'm sure Grandmary has something else special planned for you two girls," Cornelia quickly added, giving them a hopeful smile. That seemed to cheer them up a bit, but I could tell they were a little disappointed they weren't getting a surprise also.

"Well, you girls better run up to your rooms and start packing if we are to arrive at Mount Bedford next week!" Cornelia said, giving up a big grin. Nellie and I both exchanged a smile before racing up to our rooms on the second floor and throwing our clothes in open suitcases on our bed.

* * *

The automobile lurched and jolted as we drove down the road, causing Nellie and I to hold onto our hats tightly for fear of losing them. We both felt rather foolish now that we'd refused to wear the scarves that Cornelia, Bridget and Jenny wore over their hats.

"What do you suppose the surprise will be?" Nellie asked loudly, trying to be heard over the noise of the automobile.

"Maybe she's going to give us each a new necklace, or maybe she'll give you a charm bracelet and me another charm to put on mine!" I suggested excitedly.

"You'll find out when we get to Mount Bedford, girls. We're only half an hour away now," Cornelia interjected. For the rest of the ride Nellie and I exchanged secret glances and suppressed giggles. It wasn't only the surprise I was excited about, it was getting to see Grandmary again. I only got to see her on special occasions, like Christmas and occasionally on Thanksgiving and Easter. I wondered how she and the Admiral were doing, and if she missed me as much as I missed her. Although I wouldn't give up living with Uncle Gard, Aunt Cornelia and my three sisters for the world, I still wished that Grandmary lived in New York City so that I could see her everyday.

I suddenly wrinkled my nose when I remembered that Grandmary and the Admiral weren't the only people I would be seeing during our stay in Mount Bedford. I would be forced to associate with that mean old Eddie Ryland, that nuisance of a neighbor I had been glad to get rid of when I moved to New York with my uncle and aunt. But then a comforting thought came to me: perhaps Eddie would be at a faraway University, or maybe he would be traveling the world, or at least something that would make it so that I wouldn't have to see him for the duration of our visit.

When we finally arrived at Grandmary's house I could hardly wait for the car to come to a stop so I could get out. I closed my eyes as the car slowed down in front of the large, double doors and breathed in the scent of freshly cut grass and listened to the sound of the rapidly rushing water of the Hudson river. It felt so much like home that I must have got lost in my memories, for when I felt a hand on my shoulder I was brought back to reality to see Cornelia standing in front of me, already out of the car. I looked past Cornelia to see Grandmary walking out of the house, holding onto the Admiral's arm.

"Grandmary!" I exclaimed. I pushed all my bags aside and jumped out of the car before running up to her. I wrapped my arms around her in a hug and breathed in her scent. She smelled of roses and lilac's, just like when I was a little girl; of course, that was six years ago, and I wasn't such a little girl anymore.

"Come in everyone, I'll have the servants bring in your bags. I have tea ready in the drawing room," she announced when we had both pulled away. When we were all sitting comfortably on the couches and chairs in the drawing room, each with a cup of tea in our hands, Grandmary turned to Nellie and I.

"Well, I'm sure you two are just itching to know what your surprise is," she said with a smile. Nellie and I both looked at each other excitedly before nodding vigorously.

"Well, you girls have just recently turned sixteen, and therefore, are now young ladies. It's time you be properly introduced into society, so with the permission of Gardner, you are going to be attending a debutante ball-right here in Mount Bedford!" she announced, clapping her hands together at the last part. The smile that had been firmly upon my lips slowly slipped away and I raised an eyebrow.

"Debutante ball? What is that?" I asked.

"Well, when a young lady reaches a certain age-the age to start courting-she is supposed to be properly introduced into high society as a young lady. It is to be you and Nellie's debutante into society as young ladies, along with a few others girls from Mount Bedford."

Even though I loved Grandmary, and wanted to make her happy, I have to admit, I'd been expecting something…well, different. A big ball where I was suddenly declared a lady didn't sound at all like what I would call fun, but I guess that if it made Grandmary happy, then I would do it. I forced a smile and did my best to look excited about it.

"Excuse me, but don't young ladies usually have debutante balls when they turn eighteen, instead of sixteen?" Cornelia asked softly.

"Yes, but as I always say, the sooner young ladies can come out into society and find husbands, the better," Grandmary said matter-of-factly. Cornelia remained quiet and took a sip of her tea in response.

"That sounds lovely, Grandmary. I can't wait!" I exclaimed. I discreetly nudged Nellie, who was sitting next to me and she put on a smile.

"Yes, that sounds wonderful. Thank you, Ma'am."

"Perfect! The ball will be held in two weeks. Everything is already planned, of course, from your dresses to your escorts!" Grandmary announced happily.

"Escorts?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows into confusion.

"Oh, of course. A young lady cannot show up to a ball without a young man to escort her," Grandmary said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"And who is to escort me, Grandmary?" I asked curiously.

"Why, none other than your old neighbor, Edward Ryland."

The teacup fell from my hand and crashed onto the wooden surface, spilling tea everywhere. Everyone in the room gasped in surprise and shock, but I hardly noticed. All I could think about was that the boy I loathed since I was a little girl was to escort me to a ball where I would be announced as a proper young lady. Oh, how this trip was quickly turning into a nightmare that not even I could have dreamed up!

* * *

**If you're reading my other American Girl fan-fic, then don't worry-I haven't forgotten about it! I decided to write a Samantha Fan-fic because she's one of my favorite American girl's, along with Felicity, and I had a good idea for a story. So, hope you like the first chapter. The next one will be longer. =)**


	2. Spilt Tea

"Samantha!" Cornelia's voice startled me and I looked up to see everyone in the room staring at me, startled looks on all of their faces. I was confused for a moment until I looked down and saw the broken teacup and the tea that was quickly making a puddle on the floor.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Grandmary!" I exclaimed, feelings my cheeks turn red with embarrassment.

Grandmary let out a sigh. "It's alright dear," she assured me. "Elsa!"

Elsa's sour face appeared in the doorway a moment later. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Please clean this mess up and bring Miss Samantha another tea cup," she said, and Elsa nodded, with that same lemon-sucking look on her face.

"Yes, ma'am." As Elsa walked over to us and cleaned up the mess, Grandmary turned her eyes to Nellie.

"And now you, my dear. Your escort will be the Admiral's grandson, traveling all the way from England just for the occasion," Grandmary said with a smile.

"I told him all about you, and he says he can't wait to meet you," the Admiral told her with a wink. Grandmary chuckled and nudged him playfully, while Nellie looked down at the ground and blushed.

"Can we go to the ball too, Grandmary?" Jenny asked.

"I'm sorry, girls, but it's only for young ladies sixteen and older," she said, and when she saw their hopeful smiles turn into frowns she quickly added, "But of course, when you girls turn sixteen you will have your own debutante balls!"

Suddenly Elsa appeared in front of me with a new teacup in her hand, and I was surprised to look down and see the mess had already been cleaned up. I took the cup from her hands and thanked her.

"Will that be all, ma'am?"

"Yes, that will be all, Elsa. Thank you," Grandmary said politely, and then she turned back to Nellie and I.

"Well, I'm glad we have all that straightened out," she said as she stood up. She turned to the Admiral. "Dear, the girls and I are going to head to town to get them fitted for their new dresses!" she said, standing up.

"Alright, dear. Gardner and I will stay here with the younger girls," he said with a nod. What seemed like only minutes later, Grandmary, Cornelia, Nellie and I were on our way to town in Grandmary's carriage.

"Oh, girls, I almost forgot; I have another surprise for you," Grandmary mentioned as we rode towards town. I perked up at this and turned my eyes over to her.

"What is it, Grandmary?" I asked. I hope that this time it would be something _I_ would find interesting.

"Well, in preparation for your debutante ball, I have arranged dancing lessons with the finest instructor in all of Mount Bedford!" My hopes were crushed; I was terrible at dancing.

"That's…great, Grandmary," I finally said, forcing my lips to curve upward into a smile.

"Yes, that was very kind of you. Thank you," Nellie agreed. Grandmary smiled at our reactions.

"I knew you girls would be happy. Your lessons begin tomorrow morning at eight a.m., sharp. You will go there everyday, excluding Sunday of course, up until the day of the ball," she informed us.

"I can't wait, Grandmary," I lied.

* * *

"Aunt Cornelia, this is terrible!" I cried into my pillow that evening after supper. Cornelia rubbed my back soothingly.

"What's wrong, Samantha?" she asked.

"First of all, I am to be escorted to a ball by _Eddie Ryland!_ He is an annoying pest of a boy who teased and mocked me while I was a child up until I left," I started, my voice coming out muffled because of the pillow, "and second, I have to take dance lessons for two whole weeks, but I am terrible at dancing!"

"Samantha dear, that's what the lessons are for," Cornelia said calmly. "As for Eddie, well, he may have changed. People can change an awful lot in six years. He may be a completely different person than when you knew him as a child!" Cornelia's voice was hopefully, but I could tell she was just trying to make me feel better. "Well, it's time for you girls to go to bed. You have to be up early tomorrow for your dancing lessons." Cornelia stood up and walked over to the door. "Goodnight girls."

"Goodnight Cornelia," Nellie and I said in unison before she closed it. It was already night, but the blinds weren't closed, so the moonlight shone in the room, casting everything in a ghostly glow.

"If it helps Samantha, at least you know who is taking you to the ball. I don't know my escort at all," Nellie said softly. I looked across the room in the dim light and saw her green eyes staring back at me in sympathy.

"I'd be happy to go with _anybody_ but Eddie Ryland, even somebody I've never met before," I relied, turning to my side.

"What do you think he'll be like?" Nellie asked.

"Who? Eddie? Same as before," I replied with a frown.

"No, I mean the Admiral's grandson."

"Oh, well if he's anything like the Admiral he'll be a fine escort, that's for sure," I said with a smile. I could see Nellie's lips curve into a grin in the light before she turned over in her bed, and a moment later I heard a soft snoring. I let out a sigh and closed my eyes, trying to find some sleep before I humiliate myself at the dance lessons tomorrow.

* * *

"Samantha, Nellie, time to get up," Jessie's voice woke me up the next morning and I opened my eyes to see sunlight streaming in through the blinds.

"Your grandmother wants you ready for your dance lesson in half an hour, misses," she said before closing the door behind us. Nellie sat up in her bed with a sleepy look on her face. I climbed out of bed and put my slip and petticoats before pulling a corset out of my trunk.

"Nellie, can you lace up my stays?" I asked, moving my long brown hair out of the way. She nodded and walked over to me, eyes dropping down. Her sleepiness certainly didn't stop her from lacing up my stays tight, though. Cornelia started making Nellie and I wear them when we turned fourteen, saying we were becoming young ladies, and young ladies wear corsets to make their figures look better. I detested the things-so constricting and always pinching my back if I slouched in the least.

"All done," Nellie finally announced. I bent down in front of the trunk and shifted through the clothes I brought with me.

"What should I wear to the dance lesson?" I asked Nellie. She peered over my shoulder as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"The purple dress with the bright yellow sash around the middle. If you impress the dance teacher maybe he won't mind that you can't dance very well," she suggested. I pulled the dress out of the trunk and slipped it on before smoothing out the wrinkles. Corsets weren't the only things that we had to start wearing when we turned fourteen. Cornelia took us to a small little boutique near our New York home and bought us all new dresses that almost reached to the ground. They weren't as bad as corsets, but it was terribly hard to run in them when you were constantly worried about tripping over the long hemline.

Nellie seemed to adapt to the new clothing changes better than I did, but of course she was always good with change. Bridget and Jenny, Nellie's little sisters and mine by adoption, had just started wearing the tight corsets, and already they were accustomed to them. Of course, I should have expected that. Within a couple months they settled into their new lives and adapted quite nicely to their new life as daughters of a wealthy couple.

"Samantha, can you lace my stays?" Nellie asked. I turned to see her already dressed in her undergarments. I nodded and began pulling at the strings. Just as I was finishing, there was a soft rap on the door.

"Are you girl's decent?" came Cornelia's soft voice from the other side.

"Yes," I called back. Cornelia walked in and quickly shut the door behind her since Nellie was only in her petticoats and corset.

"I was wondering if you girls needed help with your hair," she said. I nodded and sat down in front of the vanity table while Cornelia picked up a brush and began to arrange my hair. Another thing that we had to change when we turned fourteen was our hairstyle. Instead of the loose, cascading hair we'd been used to all our lives, suddenly we had to pile our hair on top of our heads in elaborate fashions, just like Cornelia. We hadn't quite gotten the hang out doing it ourselves yet, so Cornelia always came in after we were dressed and helped us pin our hair up. By the time Cornelia finished with me Nellie was dressed and Cornelia quickly arranged Nellie's hair in a similar fashion.

As soon as we were done Cornelia went to the younger girl's bedroom and disappeared inside. Nellie and I looked at each other with a grin before picking up our long dresses and raced each other down the stairs.

Nellie and I slowed down as we approached the parlor where Grandmary was having an early cup of tea. We figured that the men were still asleep in their rooms since neither the Admiral, nor my Uncle Gard, were anywhere in sight.

"Oh, girls, Mrs. Ryland was just over here a few minutes ago and she can't wait to see you and Nellie again, Samantha. She even invited all three of us over for a cup of tea at noonday," Grandmary announced as we walked into the parlor and sat down on the couch across from her.

"Will Eddie-I mean, Edward, be there?" I asked cautiously.

"But of course, my dear," Grandmary replied before taking a sip of her tea. I cringed on the inside, but knew better than to let Grandmary see.

"Well, we should be off to those dancing lessons. We mustn't be late for your first class. First impressions are everything," she said with a sigh as she placed her teacup down on the saucer. We all rose and walked out to the carriage outside that was already waiting for us.

"Good morning, Miss!" Mr. Hawkins greeted me, tipping his hat. I smiled and curtsied like a duchess would.

"And good morning to you, sir," I said in response. I think I missed Mr. Hawkins and his wife the most, out of all the servants I left behind when I moved to New York.

When we pulled up to the dance studio building in town, Grandmary turned to us before we got out.

"Good luck, girls. Hawkins will be back here when the lessons are over and then you two will have just enough time to change and get ready for the tea at Mrs. Ryland's house at noon," she said before we got out. I stood on the corner of the street and watched as she waved goodbye while the carriage drove away. When she was gone I turned back to the double doors and took a deep breath. Nellie touched my arm and smiled.

"Everything will be fine, Samantha. Remember, I'm not the best dancer either," she reminded me. "Remember when we were younger and we went to that dancing class where we had to pretend to be trees? My stockings were falling down all throughout the dance and I kept having to pull them up while still doing the dance." I laughed when I remembered that and nodded.

"Right, everything will be fine," I said, more to assure myself than Nellie.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

* * *

**I know things are a little slow starting out, but trust me, things will get real interesting really fast in the next chapter-trust me. =)**


	3. Dancing Disaster

A man with slicked-back hair and a moustache walked up to us as soon as we walked into the door.

"Welcome, ladies. My name is Mr. Clemens and I will be your dance instructors for the next two weeks to prepare you for your debutante balls. But for now, please come in and we will talk," he said with a smile before gesturing to a room through another door. I looked around in amazement as I walked into a large room with wooden mahogany floors and mirrors hanging on every wall.

"Now, how much experience do you girls have with dancing?" he asked, walking into the room and closing the door behind him.

"Well, Samantha and I have experience dancing as trees," Nellie said with a look in my direction and a giggle. I laughed too, but when I saw the disapproving look on the Mr. Clemens face I quickly chocked back my laughter. Nellie stopped suddenly and looked down at her dancing shoes.

"Girls, I have to tell you that I take dance _very_ seriously, and I will not put up with any tomfoolery," he said with a frown.

"I will play a sample of music and you will dance to it so I can assess how well you dance," he said curtly, walking over to a phonograph and starting the music. I immediately recognized the dance as the waltz and quickly scrambled to position my feet right.

"Quickly! Quickly!" he called out. I was so nervous my foot slipped in front of the other and sent me crashing to the ground. The music stopped and I looked up to see Mr. Clemens frowning at me.

"I know you did that on purpose," he snapped. My mouth almost fell open in shock, and he must have caught my expression because he added, "Yes, young lady, I know a 'class clown' when I see one!"

"I did not fall down on purpose, it was an accident-" I started to protest, but he interupted me.

"Like I said, I will not put up with _any _tomfoolery, so don't let it happen again," he said with a wave of his hand, he simply snapped his fingers and called out, "Again!"

The music started back up and I scrambled to my feet, already hating the dance lessons. Suddenly, the door swung open and a few girls about my age stood in the doorway, looking in timidly.

"Well, don't stand there like strangers, come on in!" he called over to them. "We were just starting out with the waltz." They quickly walked over to us an picked up where the music was. I managed to make it through the dance and I sighed when the music finally ended.

"Alright, now we'll move on to more complicated dances. A young lady is often judged by how well she dances, so you should know all the popular dances, as well as the old ones," Mr. Clemens said curtly before moving the needle and placing it on another part of the record.

A fast song came on and I racked my brain for some sort of recognition, but I came up with nothing. I saw all the girls take two steps to the left, so I went along with them. They stopped and I thought they would change directions and take two steps to the right, but they kept going in the same direction as before-left.

I had just realized my mistake when I took a step to the right and ran right into the next girl. She let out a yell and fell into the next girl. Suddenly, the whole line to the right of me tumbled into the next one, right after the other-all crashing to the floor. The girl at the very end of the line jumped back just in time and looked down at all of us in distain. I only had time to think a single thought before the dance instructor stopped the music: she looks familiar…very familiar.

"No! No! No!" he nearly yelled, clapping his hands with each 'no!'

"You!" he pointed at me angrily and I looked up in shame from down on the ground, "You watch your feet!"

"Still making a mess of things as always, Samantha?" an all too familiar voice called out. I looked to my right in surprise and suddenly realized why the girl standing up looked so familiar. It was Edith Eddleton.

"What are you doing here?" I asked before I could think better of it. Not only did I have to see Eddie Ryland, but now Edith too? This trip was turning into one, big disaster!

"I'm here to _improve_ my dancing skills, since I already know _all_ the dances, for _my_ debutante ball in two weeks," Edith said with an air of superiority.

"Hush, girls! We are here to learn how to dance, not gossip to each other!" Mr. Clemens scolded us. I wanted to tell Mr. Clemens that nothing would make me happier than _not_ talking to Edith, but for once, I wanted to set her straight and see that grin slide clean off her face.

"Alright, get in pairs, girls. This dance requires a dancing partner. I've already assigned you a partner, so nobody complain," he called out, then pulled a list out from his pocket. "Nellie and Helen, Ida and Ruth, Rachel and Diana…" I cringed when I realized that there were only two people left in the classroom that hadn't been paired up, and I was one of them. "Samantha and Edith." I was really, truly starting to hate dance class.

"Hurry, girls, hurry! A minute must not be lost preparing you for the debutante ball!" he cried out as he started a new song. I almost sighed in relief when I recognized this song, and knew that I could at least dance it half-way well. I grabbed Edith's hands and we began to dance.

"It's not just your ball, Edith. It's mine and Nellie's too!" I pointed out as we danced, just to make Edith mad.

"I may have to share it with you and that filthy servant girl you call a sister, but I will be the one shining that night!"

"And why is that?" I shot back.

"Because, I have the best dress, the best dancing skills, the best escort, and of course, I am the prettiest girl in all of Mount Bedford. But of course, it is impolite to brag, so I'll just stop there," she said with a nonchalant shrug. Then she turned her cold eyes to me.

"I bet you don't even have an escort, do you?" she said with a sneer.

I raised my head high. My escort may be the meanest, most immature boy there ever was, but at least I _had_ one, and I loved proving Edith wrong.

"As a matter of fact, I do!" I said with a smile.

"And who might that be, pray tell?" she asked with a smug expression on her face.

"Edward Ryland," I said slowly, as if saying his full name instead of his childhood nickname would make him seem the least bit better. I half expected Edith to laugh or sneer, but to my delight that smug smile was wiped clean of her face. As if it was only a mirage, that same superior look in her eyes and annoying grin appeared only a second later. I started to wonder if I'd only imagined it.

"Well, he probably only agreed to be your escort because his mother is _making_ him, because she's a friend of your grandmothers. And it doesn't matter if Eddie _is_ your escort, because mine is _way_ better," she said, sticking her nose up in the air. "My escort is-"

"Edith, do you ever get nose bleeds?" I interrupted, and when she raised a questioning eyebrow I went on, "You know, from sticking your nose so high in the air?"

Edith narrowed her eyes before looking away and sniffing as of she smelled something foul. "Yes, laugh all you want, Samantha. But you just wait and see, I'll be the finest debutante at the ball!"

After that it was quiet, as Mr. Clemens had changed the music and the next dance needed more concentration. As we danced what Edith had said rang through my mind, and something seemed…odd, about it. When she talked about Eddie Ryland being my escort she almost made it sound like he someone a lady would desire to be her escort...but that couldn't possibly be true! Even so, the way she'd phrased it made it sound like she though Eddie Ryland was a fine escort, and maybe even a little jealous that he would be mine. How strange. I shook the thoughts away and just concentrated on the dance. I always knew Edith was a silly and foolish girl, I guess I just never knew how much until now.

"So, who is that servant girl Nellie taking to the ball?" Edith asked, with only a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"She is taking a fine young man named…" my voice trailed off and in a moment of embarrassment I realized that I didn't know his name. "Her escort is to be the Admiral's grandson."

Edith only sniffed. "I bet she's never even met him before."

"What _is_ your point?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Well, for a young man to take Nellie he'd have to have never met her before, because if he had he'd never have agreed to take her to the ball," Edith said with a cruel laugh. I felt my anger boiling inside of me. It was one thing to say something against me, but quite another to say something against my _sister_.

"If you say anymore disrespectful things about Nellie I'll-" I began, but Edith cut me off with another laugh.

"You'll do what?" she asked threateningly, and then she stuck her foot out in front of mine. I tripped over her foot and went crashing down to the floor. Edith stepped back just in time and I looked up to see a pretend shocked expression on her face. The dance instructor stopped the music and I cringed in anticipation of what he would say now.

"I've had just about enough of you! You don't even seem like you _want_ to learn these dances!" he snapped at me. "How many times must you interrupt my class, young lady? I should tell your grandmother about this!" That made me look up in shock.

"Oh no, please don't do that!" I begged him. If nothing else, I didn't want to disappoint Grandmary!

A look of compassion appeared in his eyes for a small moment, but then disappeard as he let out a frustrated sigh. "I will give you one more chance! _One_, young lady, do you understand?" he said sternly. I nodded as I stood back up. I turned to Edith and grabbed her hands as I glared at her.

"Watch your feet, Samantha!" she said as she gave me a cold smirk.

* * *

**Happy Election Day! (Well, hopefully it'll be happy!)**

**As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! =)**


	4. Of Toads and Tea

As soon as dance class ended I just wanted to run to the carriage waiting outside and cry. I had too much pride to cry in front of people, but at least in the carriage I would have _some_ privacy. My hair was falling all around my face in messy curls from all the times I fell down. I tripped three more times before the dance class was over, but each time Nellie made us some excuse and I somehow got away with it, but it wasn't without a price.

Mr. Clemens seemed to single me out today day to humiliate. Each time I fell he'd ridicule me and tell me I would never be any good at dancing if I didn't start taking it seriously, and then the other girls would laugh at me, or at least _Edith_ would. Normally, I would have ignored what she said about me, but there was no way to run away from her in that tiny room. I was forced to dance with Edith and cover up my emotions.

I ran outside of the building as soon as the class was dismissed and jumped in the carriage without even saying hello to Hawkins. As soon as the door was shut behind me I let the built-up tears fall freely. A few seconds later the door opened and Nellie hopped in.

"Oh, Samantha!" she exclaimed when she saw the tears running down my cheeks. She slid across the seat to me and gave me a hug. "It'll be alright, Samantha. Don't listen to what Edith says, she's just mean and spiteful."

I wiped my tears away. "I know, but it was all so terrible! My hair is falling all around my face, and my new dress even has a rip in it. I look terrible!" I exclaimed. Nellie was trying to stay serious, but I could see a smile pulling at her lips.

"Don't worry, Samantha, I'm sure Jessie can fix it. And besides, you'll have time to change before we go to the Ryland's for tea."

"Great, now I have to face Eddie Ryland," I said with a roll of my eyes.

"Cheer up, Samantha. At least you know he can't be disrespectful in front of his mother and Grandmary," Nellie said with a smile.

"Yes, it is a comforting thought, but still not comforting enough because I will still have to talk to him," I replied with a small smile.

When we finally got to the house I got out of the carriage and trudged up the steps. I didn't bother knocking since I knew Grandmary would be at Mrs. Ryland's house already. I swung the door open and walked inside before noticing that something wasn't right. I froze in place and realized that I heard voices coming from the parlor. I turned to my left to see the parlor door wide open. Grandmary, Mrs. Ryland and Eddie all looked up when they heard me come in and the conversation went silent. Grandmary's eyes widened in surprise at the state I was in, while Mrs. Ryland's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Good heavens, child!" Mrs. Ryland exclaimed, her hand flying to her chest. Eddie's hand flew up to his mouth to cover a laugh. I could have ignored both reactions from Eddie and his mother just fine, but when I saw the disappointed look on Grandmary's face I felt a pang of shame at my appearance.

A cry escaped my lips as I turned and ran up the stairs. When I was safe inside my room I slammed the door behind me before crawling onto my bed and hiding my face in the pillow. A moment later the door opened and I tuned around to see Nellie standing there.

"You don't look half as bad as Mrs. Ryland made it seem," Nellie said with a laugh. Despite the embarrassment, I smiled too.

"Why, I bet Jessie could fix you up and have you looking as pretty as a daisy in the springtime!" she exclaimed with a snap of her fingers. With a sigh I nodded and stood up.

"Alright, let's see Jessie work her magic!" I agreed. We both set off up the stairs and finally found Jessie's room on the third floor. I silently opened the door and peeked in to see her stitching what looked like a long dress. I knocked on the door and pushed it all the way open. Jessie paused in her work and her eyes widened when she turned and caught sight of me.

"Good Lord Almighty, what happened to you?!" Jessie exclaimed. Nellie and I exchanged a look before she replied,

"Let's just say she wasn't the best dancer at the school." Jessie's lips turned up into a smile before she let out a small chuckle.

"Why Miss Samantha, I do believe I'll be patching you up until the day I die!"

I laughed and quickly took my dress off. I stood there in my corset and drawers as Jessie mended the tear in my dress. Nellie sat me down on a wooden stool and fixed my hair. By the time she was done Jessie had fixed my dress.

"Here you are, Miss Samantha," she said, handing me my dress. I slipped it on and smoothed it out.

"Thank you so much, Jessie," I said, and then turned to Nellie. "And you too, Nellie."

"Well, I'm not as good as Cornelia with hair, but it looks better than it did ten minutes ago," Nellie said with a smile. "Come on, let's go before your Grandmary comes up here looking for you."

She grabbed my hand and we both raced downstairs, halting to a stop at the bottom. I crept up to the door and peeked in. Grandmary and Mrs. Ryland were chatting about the new style of carpet while Eddie sat next to his mother, looking bored to death as he swirled his spoon around in his tea and then licked it.

I looked closer and realized that Eddie _had_ changed in all those years I'd been gone. He wasn't as baby-faced as before, and his cheeks had lost their round look in favor of a more defined look. His hair was different too; he used to have short, wild red curls that seemed to fly every which way when we were children, but his hair was longer now, and slicked back. He didn't seem to like it though, because he kept reaching up towards his hair every few seconds and closing his fingers around thin air, then frowning and dropping his hand back to his lap.

I thought for a second that maybe Cornelia was right; maybe he _was_ different…he certainly _looked_ different. Eddie suddenly lifted his head to stare at a picture behind Grandmary and I caught sight of his eyes. All those thoughts of him being different suddenly vanished when I caught sight of that mischievous glint in his eyes…the same look in his eyes when he teased me all those years ago. I turned to Nellie and gave her a worried look. Nellie gave my hand a squeeze and mouthed, 'everything will be alright' before we both took a deep breath and walked into the parlor.

When Eddie saw me his eyes widened a bit and he jumped up. Nellie and I curtsied before taking a seat next to Grandmary. Eddie sat down and continued to stare at me. Grandmary handed us both a teacup and poured us some tea. I put two lumps of sugar in mine and began stirring the brown liquid inside. After a few moments of silence Mrs. Ryland turning her eyes to us.

"Well, I heard you girls just turned sixteen. Congratulations!" she said with enthusiasm. I nodded and smiled.

"Thank you, Mrs. Ryland."

"Nellie, I know my Edward is going to be Samantha's escort, but who is going to escort you to the ball?" she asked, turning her eyes to Nellie. Her face was friendly enough, but her eyes were cold, and her voice came out slightly strained. I could tell she didn't like talking to her like an upper-class lady—though I doubt Nellie even noticed—since only seven years ago she was ordering Nellie around as a servant at her house.

"The Admiral's grandson, ma'am," Nellie answered with a bright smile.

"Ah," Mrs. Ryland said curtly before turning back to me. "Samantha, what on earth happened that you came in here looking like you did."

"Well, I fell down in dance class quite a bit," I said with a chuckle, trying to make light of the embarrassing situation.

"Why, you positively looked a fright, my dear!" she exclaimed. I felt my cheeks burning with shame when suddenly Eddie spoke for the first time since I'd been here.

"I think she looked as pretty as ever, even with her hair down and a tear in her dress," he piped up. My eyebrows shot up and I turned to look at him in shock. Had he actually _complimented_ me? Had he actually_ defended_ me?

"Um…w-well, thank you," I finally stammered out. I was caught off guard by his nice comment. But Eddie was _never_ this nice before. What was he up to? I suddenly noticed that he had his hand firmly over his pocket, like he was protecting something inside. I didn't get any time to think about it because Grandmary turned to Mrs. Ryland and said,

"It really was my fault. I told Samantha she would have time to ready herself before going over to your house for tea, but when you mentioned you were out of tea, I momentarily forgot," she explained, excusing my behavior and explaining to me why they were having tea here instead of at Mrs. Ryland's house, all at once.

"I certainly understand, but a young lady must always keep herself presentable, even when she is not expecting any company," Mrs. Ryland announced in a superior tone.

"Edward, would you like some more tea?" Grandmary asked, ignoring Mrs. Ryland's comment with an icy look in her eyes.

"Sure," he said with a shrug, but then he caught sight of the look on his mother's face and added, "Uh, I mean, Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

He took his hand off of his pocket and reached forward, holding his teacup out. As Grandmary poured more tea I look the time to send Nellie a look that said, 'this is a disaster.' She gave me a sympathetic look, but there was nothing either of us could do. We would be forced to sit here and be polite to the company until they left. I just hoped it would be soon.

I turned back to face our company and caught sight of Eddie slapping his hand over his pocket as Grandmary and Mrs. Ryland sipped on their tea. Suddenly Eddie's eyes widened to the size of tennis balls as he reached in his pocket. His hand came out empty and I raised an eyebrow. What was he doing? Suddenly his eyes darted to the left and right, like he was searching for something.

"Why, Edward, why are you being so fidgety?" his mother scolded him, turning her cold stare to him. He looked up at his mother like he'd been caught stealing a cookie before dinnertime.

"Sorry, mother," he said as he sat up straight. She let out a sigh and turned back to Grandmary.

"As I was saying earlier, where did you get those curtains? I love the color…" As soon as Eddie knew his mother was distracted his eyes darted around.

Suddenly his eyes landed on me and his mouth parted in surprise. I gave him an annoyed and questioning look. I followed his gaze down and suddenly a small gray blur jumped past my face, landing in my tea. I saw the tea splash onto the front of my dress and I cringed. I looked down into my teacup to see what had landed in it and I nearly jumped out of my chair.

When I saw a big, ugly toad sitting in my cup of tea, gazing back at me with beady, black eyes I let out an ear-piercing scream, flinging my teacup away from me. The cup seemed to fly through the air in slow motion and my eyes widened in horror when I saw the toad slip from the cup as it soared over Grandmary's head, and land right on top of her hair.

Then Grandmary did something I never thought she would do—she let out a scream almost as loud as mine. Nellie jumped up from her seat and rushed over to Grandmary. She tried to grab the toad, but it jumped on the floor and started hopping away—right towards Mrs. Ryland. She screamed as she jumped up on top of the couch.

"Edward, get that toad _out of here_!" she cried. Eddie lunged at the toad and managed to catch it by the legs. He grabbed it around the middle and ran out of the house with the toad in his hands. I looked back at Mrs. Ryland, who looked like she might fall over in a faint, and then back to Grandmary, who Nellie was trying to calm down. Grandmary had a hand placed over her chest and a frightened look on her face.

As soon as Eddie walked back in I felt my hands curls into fists at my sides. _He_ did this! His eyes met mine and I glared at him. Cornelia was wrong; he hasn't changed! Not one bit!

* * *

I was sitting in my room I shared with Nellie. She was sitting in the bed next to mine. Normally we would stay up all night talking, but neither of us seemed to know what to say after what happened earlier. I looked out the window to see the last sliver of sun sinking below the horizon, casting a darkness across the land. Suddenly the door opened and I turned to see Cornelia walk in.

"Is Grandmary Ok?" I asked frantically. Grandmary fainted shortly after Eddie took the toad outside, and we had to call Aunt Cornelia and Uncle Gard in to help us since the Admiral was in town for the day.

"She's a little shaken up, but she's alright," she assured me with a small smile.

"Eddie did it," I blurted out. "I saw that he had something in his pocket earlier. He did it on purpose!"

Cornelia nodded. "I know, and his mother is going to punish him for it."

"Does this mean he won't have to be my escort?" I asked hopefully.

"No. He apologized to Grandmary for his behavior, and she forgave him, so he's still going to be your escort to the ball."

I scowled and leaned back into my pillows. "How can she expect me to go with him after what he did?" I moaned.

"His mother said she will personally make sure this doesn't happen again, and then she dragged him out of the house by his ear," Cornelia told me with a small laugh. I couldn't help but smile when I imagined that. When Cornelia and Gard rushed into the room after Grandmary fainted they told Nellie and I to go up to our room, so I didn't get to see what happened after that.

"I have a feeling he'll be on his best behavior after this," Cornelia said.

"I hope so, but that was such a nasty trick to play!" I said, feeling my anger boil up inside of me, "He's still that nasty, annoying boy he was all those years ago!"

"Well, in two weeks this will all be over," she said with a comforting smile, and then she turned to Nellie. "Are you alright, Nellie? You looked as if you might faint yourself a while ago."

"I'm fine, Ma'am," Nellie assured her. Cornelia gave her a worried look before nodding.

"Well, alright. Goodnight girls," she said softly before walking out of the room and closing the door behind her.

"Goodnight Aunt Cornelia," I called back before turning on my side and burying my face in the pillows. If these past two days are what the rest of the two weeks are going to be like I don't know if I'll be able to keep my sanity, and I needed both my sanity and sleep for the dance class tomorrow; I just knew it was going to be terrible. I was just drifting off into sleep with images of pink candy floss dancing in front of my eyes when something suddenly jarred me awake.

I jerked up in bed and looked around sleepily. What woke me up? I rubbed my eyes and lit a candle, then turned to see Nellie sitting up in bed. Whatever it was must have woke her up too.

Suddenly there was a loud tap on the glass. I jumped and spun towards the window. I looked at Nellie and she looked back with confusion etched on her face. I waited and a moment later I saw something small fly up and hit the glass. I got up and walked over to the window, looking down to see a figure standing in the yard. Suddenly the person pulled an arm back and threw something at our window again.

I turned to look at Nellie as a wave of fear washed over to me. Who was this person? Were they trying to break in?! I unlatched the window and pushed it open an inch.

"Who's down there?" I called out in a whisper, fear lacing every word.

"It's me, Eddie," a familiar voice called back. The fear I'd felt only a moment earlier vanished and was replaced with a wave of anger. How dare he stand outside my window and try to scare Nellie and I!

"Go away, or I'll tell Grandmary!" I hissed back in the darkness.

"Listen, Samantha, I just need to explain something to you. Please, come down here!" he pleaded.

"I don't want to hear _anything_ you have to say!" I whispered back before closing the window. I walked over to my bed and had just sat down when suddenly there was another tap on the window. I let out a frustrated groan and tried to ignore it. A few seconds later there was a loud crash and I turned to see a big crack in the glass. My mouth dropped open and I turned to look at Nellie.

"Sam, just listen to him. If you don't, he'll break the window!" she whispered in the darkness. I walked over to the window and opened it.

"You just cracked the window!" I whispered harshly.

"I'm sorry, but I need to tal-" he started to say, but I interrupted him.

"Leave me alone!" I nearly yelled, but slapped a hand over my mouth when I remembered that somebody might hear me.

"I won't stop throwing pebbles until you listen to me!" he said stubbornly. I clenched my jaw and glared down at him.

"_Fine_, what is it?" I said, crossing my arms.

"No, come down here." I raised an eyebrow. There was no way I was going to go down there just to hear what that Eddie Ryland had to say!

"No!" I whispered down to him. I started to close the door when I suddenly saw him draw his hand back. With a sigh I hurriedly opened the window back up. Nellie was right, if I didn't listen to him, he would probably break the window.

"Fine!" I hissed through gritted teeth. I swung one leg over the window and carefully climbed down the decorative ladder outside our window. When I was a foot or two above the ground my foot suddenly slipped and I tumbled to the ground. I sat up with a groan and rubbed the spot where I'd hit my head. Suddenly I felt someone touch my elbow and looked up to see Eddie staring at me with worried eyes.

"Don't touch me!" I said harshly as I stood up and jerked my arm away from him. "I'm here, what do you want?"

"Come with me," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me down towards the river. I tried to pull my hand away but his grip was strong. He finally stopped when we were a good distance away from Grandmary's house and spun around to face me. He had an intense look in his eyes and his jaw was tense; for a second I felt a shiver run down my spine and wondered if I had made a mistake by letting him take me here. Suddenly the look on his face disappeared and his features softened. He took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his mess of red curls.

"Listen, I'm sorry about what happened earlier-" he began in a normal voice, but I didn't want to hear it. I crossed my arms and gave him an exasperated look.

"Why are you _really_ here, Eddie? I know you aren't here to apologize." He looked up at me in surprise.

"I _am_ here to apologize, Sam. I feel bad about what happened-" he began.

"Since when do you feel bad about your mean tricks?" I shot back.

"Because this was an accident!" he said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. I rolled my eyes at his lame excuse.

"I'm not a fool, Eddie. I know it was no 'accident'. People don't just happen to have toads in their pocket when they come to tea!" I said, narrowing my eyes at him.

"I mean, yes, I put it there, but it—I mean…it was," he let out a frustrated sigh as he ran a hand through his tangled curls for a second time. "I _was_ going to play a trick at tea. I got a toad and was going to scare you, but then I saw you…standing there in the hallway with your hair falling all around your face, and that tear in your dress and I…" He took a deep breath. "You looked so pretty, and I didn't want to do it anymore. So I put a hand over my pocket to keep the toad from escaping, but he must have got out somehow…" He looked up into my eyes. "I'm sorry, Samantha."

I let out a huff and rolled my eyes. He was a good actor, I'll give him that. He might have been able to fool me if I hadn't known him almost all my life...but I knew Eddie better than that, and I knew he wasn't sorry.

"Are you done talking now?" I asked, keeping my voice under control. When he nodded I turned around and started walking back to the house.

"Wait, where are you going?" he asked, reaching out and grabbing my arm.

I spun around to face him with anger in my eyes, "Back to my bedroom!" I snapped at him. "I agreed to listen to what you had to say, now leave me alone!"

"But, Samantha, I just…I want you to forgive me!" he pleaded me. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Stop lying, Eddie! I don't know what you're trying to do, but I know you don't care what I think about you. You're a liar Eddie Ryland and I don't believe a word of what you just said!" I yelled as I yanked my arm from his grip and ran back to the house.

* * *

**Wow, this chapter was longer than I planned-nearly six pages! But I didn't wanna split it into two chapters, so here you are! =)**

**So, I know a lot of Samantha/Eddie stories have them meeting when they're older and suddenly Eddie is a perfect gentlemen. I say once a prankster, always a prankster. He always had a playful (and at some times, mean) personality. I can see him being nicer, but I think he'd still enjoy pulling a prank or two. I don't really see him changing his ways all that much, unless of course, he has a crush on Samantha.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter! =)**


	5. Conversation Over Ice-Cream

The next day I woke up to the creaking sound of the door opening. My mind was still hazy with sleep, but it still struck me as odd. Whenever someone came into our room they usually knocked first. I stretched my fingers and hands out across the bed; then I stretched my feet and toes out until they brushed against the wooden base at the bottom of the bed. If someone was up already then it must be time to rise.

I cracked my eyes open to see a pair of dark brown eyes staring back at me. I nearly let out a scream as I shot up in bed and leaned back. I let out a sigh when I was it was just a little boy. I placed a hand over my chest as if to tell my heart to stop beating so fast. He must have seen the expression on my face because he giggled, revealing a set of pearly white teeth-a contrast to his chocolate colored skin.

"Who are you?" I asked. Feeling indecent, I drew the covers up to my neck, even though I was fully clothed.

"Nathaniel!" he exclaimed, letting out another laugh. Nathaniel…that name seemed oddly familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had heard it before. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Nathaniel's eyes widened. He dropped down on all fours and crawled under the bed.

"Come in!" I called out. Jessie's face appeared at the door, but instead of her usual smile an anxious look was on her face.

"I'm sorry to disturb you Miss Samantha, but is Nathaniel here? I could have sworn I saw him run in here just a few seconds ago," she explained. Suddenly, it clicked. Nathaniel was Jessie's son; no wonder his name sounded familiar! Of course, he had been just a baby when I was last here. He must be six years old by now! I smiled and nodded before pointing under the bed. Jessie let out a sigh and walked over to my bed. She bent down and pulled the cover's up before her arms reached under the bed and pulled out a squirming boy.

"Now what did I tell you Nathaniel? You are not to be disturbing Miss Samantha and Miss Nellie while they're staying here. Now you apologize right now!" Jessie scolded him.

"I'm sorry," Nathaniel said, looking down at the ground with a frown on his face.

"It's alright, he wasn't bothering us," I said to Jessie.

"Well all the same, Miss Samantha, I can't just let him run around," she said, and then walked out of the room. Jessie closed the door as silently as she could behind her, but the noise still seemed to wake Nellie up. How she slept through Nathaniel talking and laughing, and then Jessie coming in and getting him, but waking up when the door almost silently closed, I guess I'll never know.

"I heard the door close. Who was in here?" she asked groggily, sitting up in bed and rubbing her eyes.

"Jessie. Her son Nathaniel had wandered in here, and she was just getting him," I explained.

"So, we don't have to wake up yet?" she asked. When I shook my head she flopped back into her pillows, and a few moments later I heard soft snoring sounds. I slapped a hand over my mouth to hold back the giggles, and then let out a sigh. I knew I wouldn't be able to just fall back asleep like Nellie. Maybe I could read a book until it was time to rise and get dressed. I swung my feet over the side of the bed and walked over to my trunk in the corner, opening it up.

I had gone through half of it before I realized that I hadn't packed any books…or any embroidery. I crouched down on the ground and ran a hand through my tangled mess of curls. Ok, so no embroidery, and no books. What was I supposed to do to entertain myself? I knew I couldn't play the piano this early and risk waking everybody up. I let out another sigh, this time of exasperation. I would have to stop at a bookstore today and get myself a couple of books for the coming weeks.

I walked over to the window and stared past the huge crack, to the sunrise. When the sun was halfway past the horizon I heard a knock on the door. Cornelia opened the door and peeked her head in.  
"Sam, Nellie, it's time to wak-" she started to say, but when her eyes landed on me they widened and she strode in, throwing the door open.

"What on earth happened to the window?" She walked over to me and reached out to touch the window, as if to make sure the crack was really there.

"I don't know. I just woke up and it was there!" I exclaimed, trying my best to look innocent. I wanted more than anything to tell her that it was all Eddie Ryland's fault and have him get in trouble, but if I did then they would probably ask Eddie about it, and he would tell them that I had climbed out of the window and walked down to the river with him. Then I would probably get in trouble too, even though it was all Eddie's fault!

Cornelia drew her lips into a fine line before letting out a sigh. "Alright, well I'll tell Mary and the Admiral about it so they can have it fixed," she said finally before pulling away. "I came to tell you girls that it's time to wake up. I saw the fine job Nellie did on fixing your hair yesterday, so I believe you two can take care of each others hair today."

I nodded in agreement and Cornelia walked out the door, closing it behind her. I woke Nellie up and we each laced up each others corsets before trying our hand at doing each others hair. Nellie did a pretty good job at mine, but Nellie's hair didn't look so good when I was done with it. I let out a sigh as Nellie stared at her reflection in the mirror.

"I'm sorry, Nellie. I'm just not good at hair. One more thing to add to the list of things I can't do," I said with a sigh. Nellie forced a smile and reached up to touch her hair.

"It looks fine, Samantha. It sure is…original how you did it," she said, and I could tell she was lying. I had tried to curl her hair and pin it up to the top of her head like I saw in a magazine once, but I couldn't get the bobby pins to make the hair drape gracefully from her head, and they ended up sticking out in every which way. Her head looked like a porcupine…and that was putting it nicely.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Cornelia entered a moment later. She opened her mouth to say something but when she caught sight of Nellie's hair her lips turned up in a grin and she bit down on her bottom lip to keep from laughing. She walked over to Nellie and picked up a brush from the table.

"Here, let me help."

A few minutes later Cornelia had successfully put Nellie's hair into the style that I had been trying to get it in.

"Girls, your Grandmary wanted me to inform you that the Admiral's grandson will be arriving today around two o'clock, so she wants you home at one o'clock to get ready to greet him when he arrives," she said with a smile as she put the brush back on the vanity table. Nellie sucked in a breath and held it.

"I hope he likes me," she finally said. Cornelia put her hands on her shoulders.

"He would be a fool if he didn't," she said, and I nodded in agreement when Nellie turned to look at me. After that Nellie and I rushed downstairs and got in the carriage that waited for us outside.

Dance class was better than it had been the previous day, but only because Edith wasn't there. One of the other girls told me that she had come down with a case of the sniffles, and her mother had decided to keep her home for the day. I wished Edith had come down with a cold; _that_ would keep her home for the rest of my visit, but then felt bad for thinking such a thing. I decided that I should just enjoy the day while it lasted and be glad that she wasn't there to torment me today.

However, even though Edith wasn't there the dance instructor still made the class hard for me. He seemed to have a personal vendetta against me for some reason, so any time I made a little mistake he would frown and point out in front of everyone what I had done wrong. Finally, the dance class ended and I dashed out of there, breathing in the scent of fresh, clean air as soon as I stepped out of the building. I turned to see Nellie getting in the carriage, then she turned around and held the door open for me.

"I think I'll just walk home. I need some fresh air," I briefly explained, but neither Nellie nor Mr. Hawkins seemed to need any more explanation. Nellie gave me a smile.

"Alright, I'll tell Grandmary and Cornelia. Just remember to be home by one o'clock."

I gave a nod and Nellie closed the door behind her. I watched as the carriage pulled away and drove off down the street before I turned and walked down the street. I smiled at the scent of fresh, clean air and felt a feeling of calmness wash over me at the minimal noise. New York City was a nice place to live, but it had a lot of different smells-some of which didn't mix very well together, and it was always noisy. Sometimes I could even hear the hustle and bustle from my bedroom. The city never seemed to sleep, even when most people were tucked away in bed.

I kept walking until I spotted a sign up ahead shaped like an open book, with the words _Barnes and Noble _scrawled across the white pages in elegant script. Well, while I was here I might as well get a book. I was suddenly grateful I had a few bills in my pocket. Grandmary didn't like the idea of a young woman carrying money around, but Cornelia thought Nellie and I should carry some money around, just in case of an emergency, or in case we saw a little something we wanted to buy.

I ducked inside the bookstore and scanned a few new titles before finally landing on one. I picked it up and then purchased it, using all my money. I looked down at it as I exited the shop, and opened it to the first page just to get a feel for it, but I didn't get the chance.

I hit something hard and solid and stumbled back. I might have caught myself, but I tripped over my long dress and fell flat on my back.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you alright, Miss?" I heard a frantic man's voice ask. I rubbed the back of my head and sat up slowly. I opened my eyes and was struck by the mere sight of the young man crouched down in front of me. He had a head full of blond hair that fell into his bright blue eyes that were full of concern. I nodded weakly and realized that I felt fine. The man smiled back at me and then glanced down at the book I'd dropped. He picked it up and quickly dusted it off.

"_The Phantom of the Opera_, huh? I haven't read it before, but my mother did and she said it was absolutely beautiful. Tragic, but beautiful," he said, but it sounded more like he was musing to himself as he stared at the cover. Suddenly his eyes widened and he looked up to give me a sheepish look. "I'm sorry, I've just ruined the ending for you, haven't I?"

I smiled. "No, of course not. There's a lot of ways a book could end tragically."

He let out a sigh, not looking very convinced. "I have the good fortune of meeting a beautiful lady like yourself, and I manage to knock you down, and ruin your new book for you-all within a minute of meeting you. Seems I'm not as smooth as I thought I was," he said, cringing slightly.

I let out a laugh. "Actually you're the only person who's been able to make me laugh all day long. I couldn't be more grateful to you."

He gave me a smile, but still looked bad. "At least let me buy you an ice-cream cone to make up for knocking you down?"

My smile widened and I nodded. I was never one to turn down free ice-cream-especially with a man as attractive and funny as the one in front of me. "Alright."

"I'm afraid you'll have to point me in the direction of the nearest ice-cream parlor, though. I just got into town about an hour ago. I arrived a little early though, so I decided to take a walk around town," he said with a shrug. He stood up and offered me a hand, which I gladly took. I was pleasantly surprised when he kept holding my hand as we walked down the street towards the ice-cream parlor. Oh how I wished he could be my escort instead of Eddie Ryland! I wonder what business he has in town. Maybe if he was staying long enough I might be able to convince Grandmary to let him be my escort. I could tell by how well he dressed that he was from a well-off family, which would probably increase the odds of Grandmary letting him, considering the stunt Eddie had pulled yesterday…_if he's even staying here long enough, and you still don't know if his business here will take up much of his time,_ an inner doubting voice told me. I brushed it away and concentrated on what the boy was saying.

"So, do you live here?" the boy asked as we walked down the street. I shook my head.

"No, I live in New York, but I'm visiting here," I explained briefly. "You know, you're still holding onto my book." I watched as his cheeks turned a slight shade of pink.

"Oh, sorry." He handed it back to my without letting go of my hand. "You'll have to tell me if my mother's review is accurate or not, once you've finished the book."

"Of course," I replied. That meant I would see him again, and I sure hoped I would.

When we finally got to the ice-cream parlor we ordered and then chose a booth that was secluded from most of the others customers. We ate in silence, and then when we were both done he smiled across the table at me.

"I have to admit, I haven't had this much fun in a while, and we've barely talked. You're easy to be around," he said, and I blushed in response.

"Thank you, I feel the same way about you…" I started to reply, but I caught sight of a clock behind his head. Five minutes until one…

I jumped up from the booth with a gasp. The boy looked up in alarm and stood up himself.

"What's wrong?" he asked, reaching out to touch my arm.

"I have to go, right now!" I exclaimed. "I have to be home in five minutes!"

"Well let me give you a ride, my driver is right down the street," he offered, but I quickly dismissed.

"Thank you, but it would be faster to run," I said quickly. I gave him a smile. "Though I do hope to see you again. I have to go now, bye!"

He gave me a nod and waved goodbye as I dashed out the door. I made it home in record time, but I dirtied the hem of my dress and shoes in the process. I got home about ten after one. Nellie rushed downstairs as soon as she heard the door close behind me, her hair half-finished, with Cornelia trailing behind her. Grandmary walked out from the parlor room and let out a sigh when she saw me.

"I was wondering where you were, child. Hurry upstairs and get ready, the Admiral just called and said his grandson has arrived early," she said, motioning with her hands for me to rush upstairs.

I quickly dashed upstairs and put on a new dress, and by the time I had everything in place and smoothed out Cornelia had finished Nellie's hair. It was more intricately done than usual, but that was because the Admiral's grandson was coming.

"Your turn, Sam," Cornelia said, patting the chair as Nellie stood up and walked over to her bed. I sat down and looked at Nellie from the reflection in the mirror as Cornelia started on my hair. She was chewing on her bottom lip, and had a nervous look on her face.  
"Nellie, are you alright?" I asked, and she jumped a little. Wow, she must be really nervous if I startled her! She managed a smile, but I could tell it was forced.

"Yes, I'm just wondering what he'll be like…"

As soon as Cornelia finished my hair and I stood up there was a knock on the door downstairs. Nellie's eyes widened and she walked over to me, clutching my arm. "Samantha, do I look alright?"

I gave her a reassuring smile and put my hands on her shoulders. "Nellie, you look beautiful."

She retuned the smile and held out her arm. I hooked my arm with hers and we walked down the stairs together. We straightened our dresses one last time before straightening up and stood tall at the base of the stairs as Mr. Hawkins opened the door. First the Admiral strode in holding a couple of suitcases in his arms. He gave us both a nod, and then right behind him walked in…

I let out a gasp when I saw the man I just had ice-cream with, walk in through the front door. His eyes glazed over the room before finally landing on me, and then they lit up. I could feel a beaming smile spread across my face. _He_ was the Admiral's grandson?!

A smile just as big as mine lit up his face as he strode forward. "I can't believe it's _you_! Nice to meet you, Miss Nellie!" he exclaimed as he grabbed my hand and kissed the top. I held in a laugh as I looked from his wide smile to Nellie's absolutely baffled face. Oh boy, this was going to be interesting!

* * *

**I'm back with a new chapter, a new picture for my story, and the revised versions of the previous four chapters and summary, all in one. :) Sorry it took so long to update, but now that I've got a better idea of where I want the story to go, updates shoul be coming sooner than they have been.**

**I'd also like to thank **I am that Writer **for her help with the plot and giving me that push to update this. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! :)**


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